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Carousell co-founders Quek Siu Rui (L), Lucas Ngoo (M), and Marcus Tan (R). Photo credit: Carousell.

Carousell appears to have quietly unveiled its latest product. A new web page has recently gone live for Carousell Pro – a “new platform for professional sellers” to “create, manage, and analyze” their marketing efforts.

Set for an official launch on November 21, Carousell Pro will give sellers on the startup’s marketplace a range of analytics, management tools, and additional features.

Among these is the ability to do deep-dive analyses of listings’ performance, top searches, and users’ peak hours. Sellers will also have access to an “Enhanced Chat” feature connecting them directly with potential buyers for live online chats.

Pro users will be able to add more than four photos to their listings on Carousell’s marketplace, and share their listings on social media platforms.

They will also be able to get personalized support from Carousell via in-app live chat, and will receive monthly email reports on their listings’ performance.

The firm is also offering tailored Carousell Pro packages for employers and recruiters, and real estate agents. Carousell began hosting job ads as well as car and property listings in recent months.  

Making money

This would seem to be in line with what Carousell co-founder and CEO Quek Siu Rui told CNBC in an interview last November, a few months after closing its US$35 million series B funding round. He said that the company was seeking ways of monetizing its marketplace through offering premium listings and services for a fee.

In May, it introduced “Bumps” – a paid-for feature that allows sellers to enhance the visibility of their listings.

As for Carousell Pro, it would appear that sellers will pay a subscription fee – though it is not clear at this stage how much it might cost.

However, Carousell is offering to throw in 50,000 “Carousell Coins” free for the first 100 subscribers who sign up for Pro. Carousell Coins are the marketplace’s internal virtual currency, which can be used to cover listing fees where they are required, or to purchase “Bumps”.

Which begs the question: With a token ecosystem already in place, might Carousell’s next big fundraising effort be an ICO?

Tech in Asia has reached out to Carousell for additional details.

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